M-1620 Pro vs Antelope Orion 32+ Gen 4 – Raw Specs vs Real-World

If I look at the Antelope review on Amazon, then they had some critique points: regarding device setup, an online activation process which needs an usb connection and internet connection, then software add-ons where it looks as if you have to pay additionally for or and the software from handling perspective.

https://www.amazona.de/test-antelope-or … interface/

Ok .. it seems, that you can use the converter also as audio interface over USB or thunderbolt.
But well .. other things would be more important to me, if I have already an UFX III (like us two).

Did you read the review regarding software part and activation of the unit?
Sounds that you have to activate the unit to make it run, possibly regardless how you use it (converter vs recording interface).

I translated the passage from the review for you:

"As is common nowadays, you need an Antelope Audio account to activate the device. However, this is only possible once a stable USB/Thunderbolt connection has been established, and after you have installed the Antelope Launcher (a sort of setup software) and the Antelope Unified Driver, rebooting the system several times. It was only after several reinstalls that this process worked somewhat reliably for me. The Antelope Launcher also provides a server that a) must be running, and b) to which the device must have an active connection.
- Antelope Orion32pus_sw_Software
- Antelope Orion32pus_sw_server
- Antelope Orion32pus_sw_Devices

Even once you have completed all that, you may still encounter confusing aspects, such as how driver revisions are displayed. According to the software, I should install version 4.5.0 (latest), even though—when connected to the server—version 4.6.0 was already running. I also had to first downgrade to server version 1.8.17 and then upgrade again to 1.8.18 before the server would start reliably.

In addition, there are various “bundle versions” that should also be up to date. In my case, the software and firmware version was 64.1.3 (current). To summarise, three active software engines are required for setup and operation:
- Software and firmware
- Manager server
- Antelope Unified Driver

The Control Panel is also launched via the Launcher software. This, too, is—let’s say—problematic. If you try to learn more by clicking “Info” in the menu and selecting Control Panel or Videos (in the “How to Use” section), you are shown four-year-old videos about other panels, or taken to Antelope Audio’s YouTube channel, which currently (as of 02/2025) does not contain a single video about the Orion 32+ Gen 4.

Closing the Control Panel via the menu or the window’s X button (on a Mac) results in the message “orion32_gen4 unexpectedly quit.” Furthermore, the Antelope display repeatedly went into screen-safe mode unprompted, even though I had set it to “Never” in the menu."

For me it sounds as if the unit even won't work if all the software and the manager server is not running.
Sorry, but this all is IMHO way to complicated and an online activation is for me a no-go.
Either this is a hardware device and works or not.

Sure you will make it, but this is IMHO not the main point.

We all know that software-based licensing/activation processes can be a real pain.
I have this currently with my car; I want to book navigation services, but it took three days now to learn that it worked better via app.

My expectation—when buying a hardware device for recording—is that it just works, because it's hardware.
This alone would be a deal-breaker for me against Antelopes licensing / online activation of HW.

Well, as you might have read, RME has an excellent reputation with the current product line of converters, not only with the series of reference converters.

I assume it will be rather unlikely that somebody with recent Orion and RME converters has both units in use and compared them A/B.

Therefore, you might need to order the two devices yourself to perform blind tests. Do not forget: at exactly the same volume levels. Then you can hear the two products with your ears in your environment and compare what you like most (sound- and operation-wise).